Field of Schemes: Soccer, soccer everywhere

October 13, 2005

Soccer, soccer everywhere

It's been a busy couple of days in soccerland. Yesterday, Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts revealed he's decided on his MLS team's new home: Sandy, a Salt Lake City suburb. As for how his proposed $65 million soccer stadium would be paid for, Checketts still isn't saying - though apparently part of it will involve siphoning off state money intended for a parking garage.

In Toronto, meanwhile, MLS commissioner Don Garber has turned up the heat on city officials, setting a deadline of October 31 for a stadium deal to be in place: "After this deadline, the deal is off the table and an expansion franchise would be dead." What's magic about October 31? MLS wants to finalize its expansion plans, certainly, but mostly this is about putting pressure on local officials by establishing an arbitrary drop-dead date - the "two-minute warning," as we dubbed it in Field of Schemes. (Though at this point I'm tempted to rename it The Samson Maneuver.) At least one Toronto newspaper columnist thinks the city should just call Garber's bluff.

Not to be left out, the Vancouver Whitecaps, who play in the top minor soccer league division, are preparing to issue plans for their own 15,000-seat stadium. What will it cost, and who will pay for it? "We're in the early stages - we don't know yet," a team official told the Vancouver Sun.

Finally, NPR's Only A Game will be airing a segment on plans for a new Chicago Fire stadium in suburban Bridgeview on this Saturday's show; I know this because they interviewed me for the segment. Check your local listings for air times, or listen in on the show's website.

COMMENTS

This is certainly great news for all the soccer stadium lovers out there. The images from the Real Salt Lake stadium look fantastic. A partial roof covering the stands, about freakin time! Glad to hear that the Vancouver Whitecaps are persuing a new 15, 000 seat stadium. Toronto does need to get a soccer stadium up and running or Canada risks losing the 2007 FIFA Youth Wolrd Cup. The new Fire stadium in Bridgeview also looks like it will be nice looking home for Le Fire.
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 13, 2005 01:41 PM

Vancouver Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot purchased the property for a reported $17 million from Fairmont Developments Inc. on July 14 and is expected to cover the cost of the new stadium, currently estimated at $62 million.
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 13, 2005 02:01 PM

"Plans" for a new stadium in Bridgeview for Chicago Fire? "Plans" for a new stadium. If they interviewed you for the segment, then you should know that there are no plans for the new stadium. Because the stadium already exists, as in "brick and mortar", already there standing on the ground, and will be opening next Spring. The word "plans" is usually used futuristically. Not for something that has already materialized.
Posted by: Winston at October 13, 2005 08:25 PM

The Toronto date isn't entirely "arbitrary". If they plan on having the stadium open for the 2007 FIFA World Youth Championship they need to start building soon. About half the funding has been set aside by the national government much in part because of that event. Toronto city officials were unhappy at the announcement of the Downsview Park site (federal land) and had top officials offering to give 9-10 million if the site was moved to Exhibition Place. So I could argue that Garber is calling Toronto's bluff. Anyways this is mostly just an announcement that a stadium = MLS expansion Toronto, something Toronto city officials wanted from Garber before approving any spending.
Posted by: swedcrip at October 13, 2005 08:50 PM

No, they've got it right. Garber is bluffing. MLS could really care less about the 2007 FIFA WYC (or is it the U17WCs?). You are correct, if the CSA want a new stadium for the tournament, they'll have to start soon - but the tournament will happen just fine without it. Anyone that thinks that MLS is doing anything other than putting the squeeze on someone to make a decision hasn't been following MLS that closely. And while it is great to hear the league say that it's not possible to get the expansion ball rolling much later, October 31st of this year is still earlier than when Cleveland was awarded an expansion franchise for 2005. So, how DID Cleveland do this year? Oh wait, that never happened, and somehow Salt Lake managed to not only get it's act together, they've now announced their own stadium.
Posted by: Andy Mead at October 13, 2005 11:31 PM

Well if it isn't Andy Mead..... The 'Zard Card himself.... And correct as usual....
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 14, 2005 03:22 AM

Garber would like a team in the Toronto market. That's probably not happening anytime soon without this stadium. This stadium isn't happening without the 20-30 million from the federal government. That money isn't getting spent unless it's for the 2007 FIFA WYC (or whatever it's called). So saying decisions have to be made soon isn't arbitray, though of course any single date is somewhat. This stadium was fairly close to happening without Toronto city money. They moved the site at the behest of the city in exchange for 9.5 million towards the 62 million stadium, so I think it's fair to say the city needs to decide fairly soon if this stadium is happening. Sure it isn't beyond MLS to put a team in the Blue Jays stadium and wait a couple years for someone to get a stadium ready, but who really thinks that's the case here? Cause MLSE playing 2nd tenant there while the federaly money is withdrawn doesn't exactly seem likely as to how MLS and MLSE will proceed.
Posted by: swedcrip at October 14, 2005 06:06 AM

The Bridgeview stadium has begun construction (see www.earthcam.net/cams2/mlsfire/mlsfire.jpg), but it's hardly complete - nor are its financing plan and lease, which is what I spoke to NPR about. Tune in to "Only A Game" tomorrow for more on this.
Posted by: Neil at October 14, 2005 10:49 AM

If league MLS games are held in the Skydome for any length of time, I fear that Toronto MLS would be doomed from the fan standpoint. From what I've heard, Toronto soccer fans are as fickle as NYC soccer fans. If MLS is not playing in a soccer stadium, then MLS is not soccer. But then again, many of these people don't think that MLS is soccer anyway, for whatever absured and assinine reason.
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 14, 2005 01:28 PM

You know, the fact that my Federal government is spending up to 30 million on a freaking SOCCER stadium is, well, disgusting. Toronto is spoiled enough. It's not even a game Canadians play, hell, if you're going to blow the money on a stadium, spend it on a CFL stadium (Same size as the Soccer stadium) in Quebec City, Halifax, or Moncton, on a league based IN this country, not on some American league that few Canadians care about. Keeps the investment sort of here, at least (No offense to the USA, but I like our government to keep our money here.) The Ontario government put millions and millions (And lost the vast majority of it) on SkyDome (Or, Rogers Centre now). The team should play there. Might as well get some more use out of it.
Posted by: Tyler at October 14, 2005 10:39 PM

Ideally Canada should have it's own First Division outdoor soccer league. And then those teams can play MLS teams and Mexican teams in Concacaf competitions.....
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 15, 2005 12:38 AM

Setting the record straight on Vancouver, from the very same article referenced above: "Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot purchased the property for a reported $17 million from Fairmont Developments Inc. on July 14 and is expected to cover the cost of the new stadium, currently estimated at $62 million." So gee, I guess there may be some idea how much it will cost and who will pay after all.
Posted by: Stan Collins at October 15, 2005 06:43 AM

So if Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver all have soccer stadiums, how far off while the Candian Premeire League be ?
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 16, 2005 12:40 AM

That wasn't an article, Stan, that was another posted comment, just like yours. What the Vancouver Sun actually reported (on Friday, after I wrote up the original news item): "'At this time, Greg Kerfoot is the only investor in the project,' [Whitecaps president John] Rocha said. 'But we are open to other levels of investment, including various government levels. It's our hope that other investors will come aboard as we move on with plans to make this very exciting project a reality.'" Now that's clear as mud.
Posted by: Neil at October 16, 2005 01:02 AM

Bertell- Theoretically, you could start a league right now with the CFL stadiums in Regina, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Edmonton, and Ottawa (Each holds about 30k and the field size is about right) however, I don't think it would really be a winning venture. I would enjoy it, however, if they could.
Posted by: Tyler at October 16, 2005 10:47 AM

As an American 'soccer' fan, it would not only benefit Canada soccer, but all of North American soccer if Canada had it's own top league. Therefore, you have our support on that project.
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 17, 2005 01:19 AM

Here is the link to the audio www.onlyagame.org/shows/2005/10/20051015.asp
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 17, 2005 03:44 AM

I wonder if any of the new MLS stadiums plan on having any community centers built into the stadium. That might score brownie points with some local politicians.... works very well over in Europe.
Posted by: Bertell Ollman at October 24, 2005 12:22 AM